PC Game News

Valve has announced that "Left 4 Dead" has gone gold, is now available to pre-load, and is scheduled to be released on November 18th.

Left 4 Dead is the new survival action game for the PC and Xbox 360 that blends the social entertainment experience of multiplayer games such as Counter-Strike and Team Fortress with the dramatic, narrative experience made popular in single player action game classics such as the Half-Life series of games.

Those who pre-order the game via Steam save 10% off the regular price and may pre-load the game so they are able to play at 12:01 am EST on November 18, 2008 when the game is made available.

The pre-order discount is also available for both the PC and 360 versions at participating retail outlets.
     
Playable in single player, co-operative, and multiplayer modes, Left 4 Dead is one of the most anticipated releases of 2008 and winner of numerous pre-launch awards, including Best of E3 from multiple outlets. The official demo for the game is available now through November 17 for the PC and Xbox 360.

For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com or www.L4D.com

 

Square Enix and Gas Powered Games have announced a strategic partnership and that development on "Supreme Commander 2" has begun. Specific details on the game are still to come.

On the partnership:

"This strategic partnership represents one of the first steps Square Enix Co., Ltd., a sister company of Square Enix headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and its affiliates (collectively, Square Enix Group) are taking towards their goal of increasing western development efforts aimed for the global markets. Square Enix Group has previously worked exclusively with Japanese development companies, so the decision to form strategic partnerships with developers located outside of Japan serves as a new cornerstone of its strategy to create games targeted primarily at consumers in North America and Europe. Additionally, Square Enix Group’s foray into the real-time strategy genre is a significant expansion of its product lineup, largely known for its leadership role in the genre of role-playing games.

"We see great opportunities in North American and European markets, both of which are expected to be maintaining sustainable growth over these coming years," said Yoichi Wada, president and representative director of Square Enix Co., Ltd.. "Therefore, it is crucial we create alliances with proven developers such as Gas Powered Games in order to serve these significant markets better by providing products and services in tune with customer tastes."

"Gas Powered Games is an accomplished development house that has demonstrated its ability to successfully create and develop intellectual properties," said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix and Square Enix Ltd., Square Enix’s sister company in U.K. "We are extremely excited to begin working with Gas Powered Games’ talented personnel and see this strategic partnership as a significant step in our efforts to bring Square Enix titles to a broader global audience."

Creator of hit titles such as Dungeon Siege®, and Supreme Commander, Gas Powered Games® was founded in 1998 by one of the game industry’s most imaginative and dynamic visionaries Chris Taylor, who serves as chief executive officer. "It is truly a great honor to join forces with as renowned a developer and publisher as Square Enix," said Taylor: "Everyone at Gas Powered Games is thrilled about this collaboration, and the results will surely delight video game fans around the world."

Details on SUPREME COMMANDER 2 including gameplay features, platform(s) and ship date will be available at a later time."

 

Focus Home Interactive and Nadeo have announced the release of "Virtual Skipper Online" as a free download.

"Virtual Skipper Online is a magnificent simulation with intense regattas both in solo and multiplayer modes, outstanding graphics and an ultra-realistic sea modeled and animated to perfection. The game has set the standard for sailing titles, and is currently played online by a large community of players from around the world.

Based on a model that is close to the free version of "TrackMania Nations", another title from Nadeo, "Virtual Skipper Online" is a complete game, and offers players access to an online solo mode that allows them to meet up and challenge one another.

Virtual Skipper Online is available immediately as a free download. Grab a copy now, and take the helm of the most famous boats such as Class America, Open 60, Melges 24 or even offshore racers to sail the four corners of the world in 14 of the best competitive watercourses, either solo or in multiplayer mode."

The ~880MB game can be downloaded from Atomic Gamer, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer’s Hell, or Worthplaying.

 

The list of new PC game releases, DVD releases, and movies opening the week of November 11th, 2008.

PC Games:

Movies Opening This Week:

  • Christmas Tale (limited)
  • Quantum of Solace
  • Slumdog Millionare (limited)

DVD Releases:  

  • A Hundred Miles Or More: Live From the Tracking Room
  • Band of Brothers [Blu-ray]
  • Beer for My Horses
  • Christmas On Mars
  • Chuck – The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]
  • Coral Reef Adventure [Blu-ray]
  • Father Knows Best: Season Two
  • Firefly: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]
  • Freedom [Blu-ray]
  • Full Fathom Five: Audio Field Recordings 2007-2008
  • George Gently Series 1
  • Harry Potter Years 1-5
  • Harry Potter Years 1-5 [Blu-ray]
  • Hellboy II: The Golden Army
  • I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Series
  • JFK
  • JFK [Blu-ray]
  • Johnny Carson Celebrates Christmas
  • Katt Williams: It’s Pimpin’ Pimpin’
  • Little House on the Prairie: The Complete Television Series
  • Live From Abbey Road: Best Of Season One [Blu-ray]
  • Live From Abbey Road: The Best of Season 1 
  • Live Through the 70’s
  • Living Sea [Blu-ray]
  • Lone Ranger: 75th Anniversary – Seasons 1 and 2
  • Long Way Round
  • Mind of Mencia – Uncensored Season Four
  • Mister Foe
  • Murdoch Mysteries Movie Colletion
  • MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, Volume 4 & 5
  • New York City Ballet: Bringing Back Balanchine
  • NFL: History of the New England Patriots
  • Off the Baa/Three Amazing Adventures
  • Reach Out
  • Smashing Pumpkins – If All Goes Wrong
  • Son of the Beach: Volume Two
  • Soundstage: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers [Blu-ray]
  • Star Wars: The Clone Wars
  • Superhero Blu-ray Collection [Blu-ray]
  • Supernatural – The Complete Third Season [Blu-ray]
  • The Apprentice
  • The Commander Set 1
  • The Complete Master Works 2 [Blu-ray]
  • The Roundhouse Tapes: Opeth Live
  • The Sopranos – The Complete Series
  • This Christmas
  • Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage
  • Three Sheets-Season 3
  • Wagon Train, The Complete Color Season
  • WWE: Viva La Raza – The Legacy of Eddie Guerrero
  • You: Being Beautiful DVD
 

CDV Software Entertainment has announced that "Sacred 2: Fallen Angel" has been shipped to North American retailers and is now available. In addition, the game is also available on Steam, Direct2Drive, and Impulse.

"Previews have lauded Sacred 2 for its expansive game world, seamless online cooperative multiplayer and its diversity of original characters – all of which gamers can now experience for themselves. Sacred 2 is sure to please those that loved the original Sacred, along with fans of action-RPGs and fantasy aficionados. A special Collector’s Edition with additional content will be available through Amazon.com in the United States, and Amazon.ca, Future Shop, and Electronic Boutique in Canada."

In addition to this announcement, the full cinematic intro video has been released:

 

Activision and Treyarch have announced that "Call of Duty: World at War" has been shipped to North American retailers and is now available.

"Available now, Call of Duty: World at War takes players to a grittier WWII than ever before — from facing down Imperial Japanese Banzai charges and guerilla tactics in the Pacific — to exacting ruthless revenge as you beat back the enemy all the way to the steps of Berlin one bloody inch at a time. In addition to introducing franchise-first four-person cooperative gameplay, Call of Duty: World at War serves up a host of new enemies/tactics and a cache of weapons, like the flamethrower. The highly-anticipated title also delivers deep multiplayer action that features squad and vehicular combat, as well as a lush audio landscape set in 5.1 surround sound, accompanying cinematically-intense, high-definition graphics.

"Our goal from Day 1 has been to make sure that Call of Duty: World at War re-defines players’ expectations of World War II first-person action," said Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia. "From cooperative gameplay to a multiplayer that combines vehicle and squad combat, along with a host of new weapons, settings and enemies, we’ve left no stone unturned to make this the best experience possible."

For the first time in the franchise, Call of Duty: World at War introduces co-op, bringing fresh meaning to the "No One Fights Alone" mantra. Call of Duty: World at War co-op features up to four-players online, or two-player local split-screen, allowing gamers to experience harrowing single-player missions together for greater camaraderie and tactical execution. The title also incorporates traditional multiplayer components such as challenges, rankings and online stats into the co-op campaign for deeper re-playability and advanced gameplay.

Following the U.S. Marines in the Pacific campaign, Call of Duty: World at War shows a side of World War II never seen previously in the series. Players will experience swamps, beach invasions and tropical undergrowth as they go head to head with one of the most brutal enemies of the war. The European campaign will feature uncompromising and vicious battles as the Red Army pushes into the heart of Berlin.

Multiplayer delivers squad-based interaction while expanding on the Party System feature with party privacy and match-making preferences. Combined infantry and vehicle missions add a new dimension to the online warfare. Players unlock a dozen new Perks while participating in epic battles ranging from massive wide open fields in the European theatre to the intimate courtyards of a Japanese castle.

Call of Duty: World at War is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB for Intense Violence, Strong Language, Blood and Gore and is available now on Xbox 360(TM) and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system for a suggested retail price of $59.99 and the Windows® PC and the Nintendo® Wii(TM) for a suggested retail price of $49.99. Call of Duty: World at War is also available for the Nintendo DS(TM), developed by n-Space, the title is rated "T" (Teen) for Blood and Violence, with a suggested retail price of $29.99.

For more information and exclusive updates about Call of Duty: World at War, visit https://www.callofduty.com."

 

For all of you who didn’t pre-order Left 4 Dead, your chance to try out the demo will be given tomorrow. A very short heads up from steampowered.com:

"The Left 4 Dead demo goes public tomorrow, Tuesday, November 11 for the PC and Xbox 360. The demo concludes on November 18, when Left 4 Dead will be made available at retail outlets across North America and worldwide via Steam."

Having played the demo for roughly 15 hours, I can assure you that the two maps available are a blast to play.

 

Electronic Arts has announced that "Need for Speed Undercover," the latest installment in the racing simulation/arcade game by EA Black Box has gone gold.

"Need for Speed Undercover has players racing through speedways, dodging cops and chasing rivals as they go deep undercover to take down an International crime syndicate. The new game heralds the return of high-intensity police chases and introduces the all-new ‘Heroic Driving Engine’ — a unique technology that generates incredible high-performance moves at 180 miles per hour during breathtaking highway battles."

In addition to this announcement, a new game and developer highlight video debuted at the SEMA auto show in Las Vegas today:

 

 

 

 

JoWood has announced that "Gothic 3: Foresaken Gods" has gone gold and is scheduled to be released on November 21st.

"Finally, it’s done: The gold master of Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods has been completed and delivered to the production facility. Developer Trine Studios and Publisher JoWooD Productions are delighted to release the game on November 21st 2008.

“A fascinating story combined with thrilling and various quests are ensuring that the fans of the Gothic series will experience many exciting hours in the official AddOn.". We are happy to create this great transition to the already announced ArcaniA, hereby decreasing idle time for the community”, explains Stefan Berger, Head of Project Management.

About Gothic 3 – Forsaken Gods:

Gothic 3 – Forsaken Gods includes new quests, new monsters and many of the old friends whom gamers around the world got to know in previous episodes. Gothic 3 – Forsaken Gods will answer all the questions which have risen in the past and will slowly introduce the fans to a new chapter…"

 

For some reason I saved up the submitted hardware reviews from the past three weeks again. I will try to make this more of a weekly thing from now on. Note, I’m only going to post the hardware reviews this time around because there are so many but will put additional links in future posts.

Submittted Hardware Reviews:

MOBOs:

GPUs:

CPUs:

Storage:

PSUs:

Enclosures:

Other:

 

Holy smokes. More of that puke-inducing first-person platforming, but we also get a look at Faith’s detailed and fluid animations, even though we won’t see them throughout the entire game, probably. I admire the attention to detail and maybe DICE should include a third-person option for those who are prone to motion sickness. As implied, Mirror’s Edge will launch very soon, so get ready to spend a chunk of paycheck again for what looks like a winner.



 

The latest installment in the absurdly popular series looks like a whole lot of fun. I’ve spent countless hours with the original, briefly took a look at the sequel, but The Sims 3 really looks like it’ll change and expand the core foundations of the series a lot. One, connected neighborhood that goes by in real-time, lots and lots of customization options and life goals look like it’ll infuse the series with some new life.



 

The utilization of music you wouldn’t expect for a certain game seems like it’s becoming a popular trend ever since Assassin’s Creed’s trailers used stuff like Massive Attack. Call of Duty: Word at War’s launch trailer follows this trend and the trailer does an effective job of getting me fairly excited for another World War II game. My experiences with the beta has been lukewarm at best, but Treyarch’s been given a lot more time with their latest Call of Duty effort, so let’s hope for a solid addition to the series.



 

The "Iron Grip: Warlord" website has been updated with the announcement that the game has been released, and a new demo is available.

"Our countless hours of hard work have finally paid off. We are proud to announce that not only is Iron Grip: Warlord complete and available for purchase(only $24.99 USD), but we are releasing a free to download and play version for those of you who like to get your feet wet before you dole out the cash.

Get your activation key now and unlock the full functionality of the game – including new levels, weapons and more. Activation keys will be delivered immediately through email with no shipping required!"

You can download the trial from The Official Site, Atomic Gamer, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer’s Hell, Strategy Informer, or Worthplaying.

 

Bethesda Softworks has released a new patch for "Fallout 3," bringing the recently released post apocalyptic role-playing game to version 1.0.0.15.

The 6.6MB patch (US version linked) is available to download at The Official Site, Atomic Gamer, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer’s Hell, or Worthplaying.

Update Notes:

  • Fixed occasional crashes when exiting the game or using Alt F4 to exit.
  • Fixed crashes when using Alt-Tab while binks or credits were playing.
  • The game now restarts properly after title updates finish installing.

Full Changelist and release notes